The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has vowed to go violent with the Federal Government over the announcement of hike in fuel price, from N86.50 to N145.00.

Reacting yesterday to the new price regime announced late Wednesday through the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, NANS threatened to shut down strategic government agencies in the oil sector, in particular, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

NANS said the FG, with its new policy, is calling for the replication of mass protest of 2012 when fuel subsidy was removed by the last administration.

The student group said in a statement sent to News Express on Thursday afternoon: “So far that we are not violent does not mean we cannot go militancy to defend the popular pro-people position. We therefore urge our ever gallant Nigerian students to stay alert as we are ready to replicate our actions of 2012, occupy all Federal Roads, and shut down all NNPC, PPPRA and DPR offices, if the Federal Government refuses to address this timely.”

NANS declared the fuel price hike sorrowful, lamenting that it was done without considering the challenges and suffering which Nigerian masses are going through as a result of the economic instability in the country.

According to NASS, “In an attempt to solve a problem in the country, the Federal Government must realise that the opinion and convenience of the Nigerian masses which they represent as a result of the democratic mandate given to them must be adequately considered as all problems cannot be solved at a glance. To us, it seems the present leadership of the country has forgotten so soon the roles and contributions of Nigerian students and populace towards the actualisation of the change in leadership of the country.”

Noting that Nigerians are not smiling under the Muhammadu Buhari as they had expected, NANS said: “Song of sorrow makes the heart bleed, electricity supply does not justify increase in tariff, prices of commodities are going higher, hike in transport fares and many more issues have also affected the students’ populace as some higher institutions (UNILAG, UNIPORT, IMSU, AAUA…) are closed down, yet the wages remains the same.”

The group also lamented that National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members still get N19,800 monthly allowance while the rate of jobless youths continues to increase. It described as pathetic, the Federal Government’s decision to compound the problems of the people by astronomically increasing the price of petrol.

“So, we Nigerian students have decided to resist this and prove our capacity that youths are the bedrock of any nation's development. The most lethargic aspect of the scenario is the exclusion of youths and students in the reported meeting of various stakeholders that reviewed the anti-masses price of PMS, which our research reviewed that the price of petrol should not have exceeded N100.00 per litre even if the subsidy is removed,” NANS said.

The association, therefore, demanded that, as a matter of urgency, the Federal Government should reverse the price of petrol to what it used to be.

•Photo shows NANS President Tijani Usman Shehu.

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